The ligand-field trace, Σ, expressed as the sum of local, diagonal ligand-field matrix elements, in earlier analyses of Cs2[CuCl4] is shown to be anomalous when compared with those collected here for 26 complexes of copper(II), nickel(II), and cobalt(II). The present analysis shows how this anomaly may be removed when proper account is taken of the subtle details of the bonding and electron distribution in the distorted tetrahedral CuCl42– chromophore.